At the National Archives, Technology Has a Flip Side

Published: October 1, 1995

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"Let's suppose a researcher is interested in the history of a military post somewhere in Idaho. If the project is successful, that researcher should be able to use this new finding aid to tell him that somebody once wrote the history of that post and that the document is located at our Seattle regional center. That will save him from making a trip here to Washington and going from building to building, and it will save us from having to service his request.

"The object," Mr. Hirtle continued, "is to empower the researcher. It's a learning experience for us. We want to get our feet wet and see what problems we run into. It's due to be completed next year, and if it works, and if we can get the funding, we can expand it to eventually include everything we have."

The Archives has made a number of other toe-in-the-water electronic advances. Last year it went on line with electronic versions of some publications like an introduction to genealogical research, information about how to use the archives, the daily table of contents of the Federal Register, selected documents and about 1,000 of the most commonly sought still photographs -- like the shot of President Richard M. Nixon shaking hands with Elvis Presley.

All this can be had free of charge by researchers who have a computer with access to the Internet.

The Archives is also providing an e-mail address -- inquire@nara.gov -- which researchers may use free of charge to make inquiries without having to write a letter or visit Washington.

And last June, the Archives completed the installation of a wide-area network that uses telephone lines to permit staff members to communicate with one another easily.

"The purpose is to have us think of ourselves as a nationwide organization," said Ms. Bellardo. "If somebody wants some information about Lyndon Johnson, through e-mail we can instantly communicate with the L.B.J. Library in Austin and get the answer without delay."

As for coping with the impermanent nature of electronic gadgetry and software, Mr. Thibodeau, the National Archives' director of electronic records, said the first step was to recognize that "we're on a moving threshold" because the technology continues to change.

The second step in the preservation of electromagnetic materials -- the Archives now receives almost a million megabytes a year -- is to copy everything on 3480 data tape, a standard product similar to audiotape, which officials believe is both durable enough and well enough positioned in the market so that it will be around for 10 years.

"We figure we're safe for a decade," Mr. Thibodeau said. "That means that in 10 years we expect to have to copy everything onto something else, but we don't know what that will be."